Maroon

              THE MAROON A LOYOLA TRADITION SINCE 1923 • "FOR A GREATER LOYOLA,, VOL. 86, NO. 25 ONLINE EDITION AT LOYOLAMAROON.COM FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2009 Residential director to take on new post By EDUARDO GONZALEZ THE MAROON Reed accepted Student Affairs job Robert Reed, director of Residential Life, said he will miss the connection he has with students when he takes on his duties as assistant vice president of Student Affairs next fall. Reed, who has held his position for 28 years, will oversee several student affairs committees and manage the university student judicial system, among other things next semester. He took the job because he feels strongly committed to Loyola and is always looking for ways to serve and benefit the school, he said. Over the years, Reed has seen many graduating classes walk across the stage and receive their diplomas and has seen many of those students come back to visit. He believes that says something about the school that makes students want to return after they have left. When he starts his new job, he wants to make sure to provide Marcia "Cissy" Petty, associate provost and vice president of Student Affairs, with support. He does not see any major adjustments in the future, however, he plans to make minor improvements in several areas. "I know about the learning communities and other things and if I can take some things off her plate to be more productive, then that's what we'll do," he said. He wants to focus on discipline as a tool for leadership. His primary objective for the student judicial system would be to make sure that students are learning from their mistakes, he said. Craig Beebe, associate director of Residential Life, will also receive a promotion. He will be the interim director of Residential Life starting in August. His new position will require him to supervise operations and act as the strategic planner for four residence halls. Beebe is concerned with the effect the current economy will have on the way he does his job. "At this particular time, I think The Thomas Promise By MASAKO HIRSCH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Thomas Hall, the prominent building on St. Charles Avenue, has been closed since fall of 2007, but the director of facility operations ensures that renovation plans are in motion Architects have been hired to remodel it, but the planning is only in the initial stages. "We're just beginning the review and the programming part of the study to see who can fit and what we can do," she said. "Right now, Thomas Hall is just closed. It's not being used for anything. It's awaiting renovation." According to the Rev. James Bradley, S.J., the rector of the Jesuit community and associate director of the Jesuit Center, Thomas Hall was built in 1911 as Jesuit residence. The building's name is in honor of Louise C. Thomas, a benefactor who helped fund its construction. Thomas Hall remained the Jesuit residence until August 2005. "I became the rector in 2003. They'd already been discussing a number of different alternatives to move out of Thomas Hall. The university needed more space," Bradley said. The main Jesuit residence was moved to 6226 St. Charles Avenue, on the corner of Calhoun Street and St. Charles Avenue. It houses some of the Jesuit community, along with a house located directly behind it. The rest of the community lives in other parts of the Loyola neighborhood. "I'm the superior of a community that lives in two houses, three apartments, a rectory and two residences, so we're kind of spread all over," he said. For a year after the Jesuit community moved out, Thomas Hall was converted into a residence hall for students, due to the large incoming class in 2005. "Unfortunately, as the kids were moving in, Katrina hit, so they were out for the semester. When they came back the second semester for spring, they moved into Thomas Hall and then we didn't need it anymore," Moss said. "It's in need of a renovation desperately, it wasn't in good shape. It wasn't certainly an ideal place for the residents. I think they enjoyed it. It worked for one One of Loyola's most historic buildings is one that the majority of students have never entered, much less heard of. Thomas Hall, which was once a Jesuit residence and a temporary dormitory after Hurricane Katrina, has now entered the planning stage to become a welcome center for prospective students and parents. "That will be our admissions front door for new parents and students, and the front door of the visitor's center, a kind of welcoming place," said Ann Moss, director of facilities operations. "Since it's right on (St. Charles Avenue), it makes good sense." Moss added that there are hopes to make it into a "one-stop shop" for current students by moving the offices of Financial Aid, Student Records, Student Finance and the Bursar's Office into the building. Mathes Brierre year," she said. Anne Longman, finance senior, lived in the building her sophomore year in 2006. "It was an old building. It hud that '70s orange carpet and the elevators didn't work," she said. Despite small inconveniences, like being away from the rest of campus, Longman didn't mind living in the building. All of the rooms were singles, and Longman remembered it as a quiet dormitory. Now, Thomas Hall is in the beginning stages of renovation. Moss noted, however, that no big changes would be apparent in the near future. The planning may take anywhere from six months to a year. "It's going to be quite a while before you can see construction," she said. "You're not going to see a shovel any time real soon." Masako Hirsch can be reached at mmhirschCSDloy no.edu. TOM MACOM/ THE MAROON The usable spaces of Thomas Hall lie dormant since its closing in 2007. Above are photos of the building's fagade, chapel and one of the bedrooms used in the past by students and the Jesuit community. see REED, page 4 Springtime  show fflH DS W CORRECTION: In an April 17 issue, The Maroon misrepresented the state of the funds Loyola may or may not receive from the Aid to Independents program. We should have said the cuts proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget committee were not finalized. Also, the same article misstated the definition of capitation. We should have said that capitation is the payment of a fee or grant to a body providing services to a number of people (such as a university) such that the amount paid is determined by the number of students. We at the Maroon regret these mistakes.  MAROON DIRECTORY: AT A GLANCE, page 2 | EDITORIAL, page 14 | LIFE & TIMES, page 6 j SPORTS, page 12 j NEWS TIPS: 865-3535